Fabric-maeing machine



H. E. BROWN.

FABRIC MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICAHON FILED mun? 191a Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

H SHEETS-SHEET 1 H. E. BROWN. FABRIC MAKING MACHINE.

ll SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. E. BROWN.

FABRIC MAKING MACHlNE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEH, 1916.

1,336,343. Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

H SHEETSSHEET 3- H, E. BROWN. FABRIC MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEU, I916- Patented Apr. 6, 1920..

11 SHEETSSHEET 4.

H. E. BROWN.

FABRIC MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION ,FILED JUNEH, 1916.

1,336,343, Patented Apr. 6, 1920 H SHEETSSHEET 5.

8 6 5f I 58 l llmn H. E. BROWN.

FABRIC MAK'IN G MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNEW, 1916.

1,336,343, v Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

I I SHEETSSHEET 6.

H. E. BROWN.

FABRIC MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEIT, I916 1,836,343, Patented Apr 6, 1920.

H SHEETS-SHEET i.

Jed

H. E. BROWN.

FABRIIC MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE17, I916.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920 11 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

H. E. BROWN.

FABRlC WAKHIG MACHiNE.

I APPLICATION men JUNEIT, mm 1,336, 843- mam-e5: Apr. g, 1920,, 1: SHEETS-SHET H. E. BROWN.

FABRIC MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men JUNE17. 191s.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 1|.

H. E. BROWN.

FABRIC MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IUIIEII, 1916.

6 y w j wrw' HARVEY E. BBC-VIN, OF LGUIS, In

KENOSHA, VIXSCGNSIN, A

iii-"CURE, ASSZGNQB T6 SIMMGIIS COMPANY, OF

(30 HPURATIOH OF DELA'WARE.

FABRIC-MIAIZING- MACHINE.

Application filed June 17, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it liner-tn that I, Harrier Brown, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Fabric-ldaking Machines, of which the fol lowing is a syecification.

My invention relates to improvements in fabric making machines and is particularly well adapted for application to machines for making wire fabric rapidly and automatically from a continuous length or lengths of metallic wire.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a machine of the class described which is well titted for manufacturing rapidly and economically wire fabrics such as are used for bed bottoms; to provide a machine which utilizes a plurality of continuous wire supplies for the purpose of constructing different classes of wire units composing the fabric; to provide machine for making wire fabric having longitudinal and transverse links in which the finished fabric is fed transversely past the fabric unit-applying mechanisms; to provide a machine of the class described in which the longitudinal fabric units are first connected to the fabric and subsequently the transverse units; to provide a machine for making rectangular mesh fabric in which the finished fabric is progressively fed past the fabric unit-applying mechanisms whicn include means for completing each mesh for the fabric by two distinct fabric unit-applying operations; to provide a machine of the type last described in which the fabric is fed past the fabric unit-applyin mechanisms in one direction only; to provide a machine of the class described which shall be capable of making fabric of indefinite length; to pr-In'ide a machine of the class described and operating on the spiral principle; to provide an improved method of constructing mesh fabric of the class described; to provide a construction which shall be simple and eco uomical to produce, while at the same time being inexpensive and eliicient to operate and maintain; and in general, to provide an improved machine of the class described.

In the drawin 's. which illustrate as an application of my invention a machine for manufacturing rectangular-mesh wire bed fabrics-- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 104,164.

Figure l is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation lool'ing from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of portion of Fig. 2 certain portions being broken away to disclose the construction, and certain parts being omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. l is a section taken on the line l-l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a tilted plan view of a portion of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow 6;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view looking from the bottom of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 certain parts removed for the sake of clearl 1g. 9 is a view, looking from the bottom of F 1g. 8;

Fig. .10 Li a view looking from the left of TF1 u r- 71* Fig. 11 is a view of the lower portion of Fig. 10, certain parts being sectionalized to show the mechanical construction;

Fig. 12 is a view of a portion of Fig. ll showing certain parts in another position:

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of a portion of 8, certain parts being removed;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13. but showing certain, parts in a different position;

n" Fi 15 is an enlargement of a portion of showing the stapling mechanism;

. 16 is a fragmentary side elevation of mechanism shown in Fig. 15, looking in c direction 16 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary section of a portio of ig. 16; I

18 is a plan view of a portion of the which the particular machine illus Mateo is adapted to manufacture;

Fig. 19 is a section taken on the line 2.9-4.9 of Fig. 18; and

Fig. 20 is a section taken on the line 90-20 of Fig. 18.

The base of the machine is a hollow cast iron standard formed with a surrounding bottom flange 81. to prevent the machine from tipping over. and having at the back an upwardly projecting integral bracket portion 32, the upper end 33 of which forms a journal bearing for the main shaft 34 of the machine. Said main shaft 34 is driven continuously by means of power applied to the fly wheel or driving pulley 35 by a belt driven by power and running at a suitable rate of speed. On the front end of said driving. shaft 34 is keyed a bevel gear 36 which drives the mechanisms for respectively forming and assembling the longitudinal links and the cross-links through bevel gears 37 and 38. The bevel gear 37 is keyed to the end of an inclined shaft 39 which is journaled in a frame designated as a whole 40 carrying the longitudinal link forming and assembling mechanisms; and the bevel gear 38 is keyed to the end of a similarly arranged inclined shaft 41 which drives the stapling or cross-link forming and connecting mechanisms and is journaled in a frame designated as a whole 42. The said frames 40 and 42 are suitably bolted or otherwise secured to the top of the foundation standard 30.

The fabric while being manufactured by the machine is formed in a continuous spiral and. is supported and progressively advanced by an intermittently rotated drum or barrel 43. This is accomplished by establishing a fabric loop which hangs down loosely for a considerable distance below the drum so as to enable the spiral to shift its position longitudinally of the drum while the fabric is making a complete revolution on its axis. During such rotation, the drum, of course, turns considerably more than a single revolution. In this respect my machine is somewhat similar to the machine described in United States Letters Patent to Gail, No. 967.011, patented August 9, 1910, and in my United States Patent No. 1,224,270, dated May 1, 1917. It will be found, however, that my machine is substantially different in principle from that described in the patents referred to. since I form the fabric with longitudinal links parallel to the axis of the rotatable drum or fabric support and with the cross-links tangential to the drum; whereas, the patented machine referred to receives the longitudinal links in the form of a continuous chain tangential to the drum and simply applies the cross links or staples to adjacent spirals of said. longitudinal chain.

Describing the drum-rotating mechanism and referring to Figs. 2. 3, 4, and. 5, the drum or fabric support 43 is securely keyed to the reduced end 44 of a shaft 45 ournaled horizontally in the head of the main casting 30, and having its axis parallel with the axis of the shaft 34. Keyed to the shaft 34 between the fly wheel 35 and the bearing is an eccentric 46 which cooperates with the bearing roller 47 carried at the top, of a cross head 43 which slides in a pair of opposed guides 49 and 50 clamped onto the rear end of the part 33 by means of suitable bolts, as at 51. The rear end of the shaft 45 projects through beyond the rear of the frame of the machine and carries at its outer end a fixed collar 52. Journaled upon the shaft 45 inside the collar 52 is a pivoted arm 53 the end of which is pivotally connected to the cross head 48 by means of a connecting rod 54. Upon the arm 53 is pivoted a dog 55 which is adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel 56 keyed to the end of the shaft 45 adjacent the pivoted arm 53. It will be apparent that when the shaft 34 revolves, the cam-shaped eccentric 46 will cause on intermittent up and down movement of the cross head 48 and a resulting intermittent rotation of the ratchet wheel 56 and drum 43. Retrogade movements of the drum 43 are prevented by means of a second dog 57 pivoted at the front of the main casting on a pin 58, and which cooperates with a series of ratchet teeth 59 formed on the circumference of the inner end of said drum 43'.

The particular type of fabricvwhich the machine herein described is arranged to manufacture is shown. in Figs. 18, 19, and 20. In said figures, 60 are'the longitudinal links of the fabric and 61 are the staples or cross links which engage in the central eyes 62 formed in the ends of the longitudinal links 60. The longitudinal links are connected together serially in the form of chains by means of duplicate hook portions 63 which engage in symmetrically arranged eyes 64 of the adjacent longitudinal links. A similar fabric is described in United States patent to COOP1S1111tl1,'NO. 1,044,627, patented November 19, 1912.

Describing that part of the mechanism which is used for forming and assembling the longitudinal links of the a fabric, the lower end of the inclined frame 40 is extended as at 65 to form a brace for a stationary rod 66. the ends of which are supported in lugs or blocks 67 and 68 carried respectively by the parts 65 and 40. The projecting member 69 on the lower end of the extension 65 carries at its extreme end a wire-straightening device designated as a whole 70, which may be of any usual or well known construction. The continuous wire which is paid-out from a reel (not shown) is drawn through the wire-straightener 70 by the mechanism driven from the lower end of the shaft 39. This mechanism includes a bevel gear 71 keyed to the lower end of said shaft 39 and which drives a bevel gear 72 mounted upon a short shaft 73 ournaled in a lug or lugs 74 formed asintegral parts of the inclined frame 40. On a small bracket '75 bolted to the top member of the frame 40 is pivoted the upper end of an arm 76, slotted as at '77, in order to accommodate the crank pin 78 rigidly secured on the rear face of the bevel wheel 72. The lower end of the slotted arm 76 is connected by means of a pivoted link 79 with a block 80 which slides upon the stationary rod 66. As the shaft 89 is rotated, the block 80 reciprocates upon the guide rod 66 and the wire is advanced into the forming mechanism by means of a pivoted dog 81 which is pressed by a suitable spring as at 82 toward a gripping face on said block 80 which supports the wire. The wire is guided into the form ing mechanism by passing through an aperture in the stationary guide lug 83 adjacent the forming mechanism.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, Set represents the end of the continuous wire as it is fed into the machine by the wire-feeding mechanism just described. Before being formed into a unit, the length of wire severed from the end of the continuous wire supply by means of a pair of symmetrically arranged rotary shearing knives or punches S5 and S6. Said rotary shears have cutting edges 87 and 88 which cooperate with stationary shear blocks 89 and 90 securely fixed upon the lower part of the frame 10. The rotary shear blades and 86 are keyed to the ends of a pair of parallel shafts 91 and 92 journaled in small brackets 9-3 and 9t clamped to the bottom part of the frame 40, and which are revolv d to operate the shear blades by means of a pair of gears 95 and which are keyed to said shafts 91 and 92 and are driven by reciprocable racks 97 and 98 slidably arranged in stationary box guides 99 and 100. In the upper ends of said rack rods 97 and 98 are secured pins 101 which engage in apertures 102 in the ends of the horizontal arms of a pair of bell-crank levers 103 pivot-ed upon a shaft 10a fixed in the bracket 10 below and parallel with the shaft 39. The upper ends of said bell-cranks 103 carry pivoted rollers 105 which cooperate with a pair of cams 108 keyed to the shaft 39. in order to prevent cramping of the rack rods 97 and 98 in their slide boxes 99 and 100, the apertures 102 in the ends of he bell-cranks 103 are slotted out slightly, as shown in Fig. 10.

The mechanism just described cuts off from the end of the continuous wire supply a length of wire of the required length to make one of the longitudinal fabric units. This occurs when the cum 105, as rotates with the shaft 39, engages the cam roll 105 and pulls up the rack rods, thus rotating the rotary shear members 85 and 86 which sever the wire. The rotary shear member 86 is employed to cut off the end of the wire in case the wire-feeding mechanism delivers an excessive length of wire, and so insures that each of the wire units shall be precisely the same length. The rotary shear members 85 and 86 also constitute formers to impart a preliminary or inchoate, hook shape to the ends of the wire unit 8 1. To this end, the shear members are made with their cutting faces of suitable contour to cooperate with a pair of stationary forming blocks 107 and 108 against which the ends of the wire are formed when the rotary shear members 85 and 86 are rotated to their limit of movement. The shape of said inchoate hook portions is indicated at 109 and 110 in dotted lines.

After the wire lengths 81 have had their ends formed into preliminary hook shape, the central portion of the link is bent or shaped to form the three eyes at the end of the link and to fold the link centrally upon itself so as to position its limbs parallel with the axis of the fabric drum. 'lo this end i provide the following mechanism: Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, it will be observed that the wire length 8% is fed into the macriine behind the forming pins 111 and 112 and in front of the forming pins 113, 11%, and 115. The forming pin 11st is at all times stationary and is lined in a centrally arranged bracket 116 carried by the frame %0, and which bracket projects from said frame a short distance over the fabric drum 13. The forming pins 113 and 115 are carried on the ends of a pair of syn'inletrically arranged bell-cranks 11? and 118 which are rotatably mounted upon stationary pins 119 and 120. Said bell-cranks 117 and 118 are capable of a rocking movement on the pins 119 and 120 and are actuated by a pair of symmetrically arranged links 121 and 122,the rear ends of which carry pins engaged by elongated apertures 12% in the ends of a pair of symmetrically arranged cam levers 125 rotatably mounted upon the stationary shaft 10%. The upper ends of said levers 125 carry cam rollers 126 which cooperate with a pair of cams 127 keyed to the shaft 39. The pins 111 and 112 are carried by the ends of a pair of fingers 128 and 129 which are pivoted at 130 and 131 on the ends of a pair of links The rear ends of said links 132 are slotted as at 133 to admit opposite ends of a pin 13-1: carried by the lower end of a lever 5 pivotally mounted upon the shaft 10 1. the upper end of said lever 135 carries a cam roll 136 which cooperates with a cam 13? keyed to a shaft 89. The lingers 12S and .129 are normally forced apart by means of a coil compression spring 138 seated in opposed recesses 139 in the adjacent faces of said fingers. and the opposite outer sides of said lingers are beveled, as shown at 110, in order to cofiperate with a pair of cam surfaces as at l il formed on the inner adjacent corners of a pair of blocks lei-2 sym uetrically arranged on the outside of said fingers.

The operation of the above mechanism is as follows: Referring to Fig. 13, the wire unit, after being fed in and cut off, occupies the position shown, with the pins 118 and 115 spread apart on the ends of the bell-cranks 11? and 118. After the rotary shear blades and 86 have completed their movement, the cam 13'? engages the cam roller 136 carried by the lever 135, and the links 132 draw back the fingers 128 and 129, thereby bending the wire around the pins 111 and 112 and pulling the bent portions between the pins 113 and 114 and the pins 114 and 115. During this operation the spring 138 keeps the pins 111 and 112 apart until the bevel portions 140 strike the cam surfaces 141, whereupon the lingers carrying said pins 111 and 112 are brought together into the position shown in Fig. 14. Nhile this is occurring, the cams 127 have engaged the cam rollers 126 and actuated the bell-cranks 125 to cause the links 121 and 122 to push down upon the bell-cranks 117 and 118, thus rocking them and forcing the pins 113 and 115 into the position shown in Fig. 14, the eye portion of the link thus being fully formed.

By reason of the forming operations just described, the limbs 143 and 144 have been caused to occupy a position parallel to each other and to the axis of the fabric drum, as shown in Figs. 6 and 14. The next operation is to connect said. link to the previously formed link 145 on the end of the finished fabric portions carried by the drum. Referring to Figs. 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12, the stationary bracket member 116 extends out over the fabric-supporting drum 43, and on the projecting end is formed a rectangular depending plate or block 146, the opposite sides of which are grooved out, as shown at 147, in order to furnish guides for a pair of plunger plates 148 arranged on either side of said rectangular block 146. The width of said guide block 146 is substantially equal to the spacing between the parallel limbs of the longitudinal. fabric units 60, as shown in Fig. 6, and is so located that when the unit is folded by the eye-forming mechanism, said limbs of the unit lie against the opposite sides of said block 146 (see Fig. 11). In order to securely hold the ends of the unit limbs against the guide block 146, I mount on the outer end of the guide. block 146 a pair of oppositely disposed symmetrically arranged hinged plates 149 which are arranged to swing in opposite directions over the hooked ends of the unit and so hold the same securely against the sides of the block 146. Normally, said hinged plates 149 are directed into the position shown in Fig. 8 by means of a pair of coil springs 150. The plunger blades 148, which are approximately the same thickness as the diameter of the wire of which the unit is formed, have secured to their inner faces longitudinally arranged flat plates 151 which slide in the grooves 147 and so maintain said plunger plates 148 in alinement.

Said plunger plates 148, aLove the top of the guide block 146, are connected by means of an interposed cross bar or filling member 152 (see Fig. 11), which is of the same thickness as the guide block 146 and thus holds the plunger plates the proper distance apart. The plunger plates 148 are actuated by means ofa bellcrank lever 153 in the end of which is a slot 154 adapted to receive a pin or belt 155 connecting the upper ends of the plunger plates 1.48. Said bell-crank 153 is rotatably mounted upon the stationary shaft 104 and the vertical limb of thecrank carries a cam roller 156 which cooperates with a cam 157 keyed to the shaft 39. 0n the outer end of the cross piece 152 is formed at right angles a narrow pointed bar 158, the lower bevel end 159 of which normally is positioned above the tops of the hinged plates 149. The function of said pointed bar 158 is to close the swinging hinged plates 149 upon the hooked ends of the unit when the plunger plates 148 are caused to descend by the bell crank 153. This is effected by reason of the pointed end 159 of said bar 158 entering behind the rear ends 160 of said hinged plates and thus wedging them apart. The width of the bar 158 across its outermost portion is such (see Fig. 6) that when the parallel portion of the bar 158 enters between the parts 160, the hinged plates 149 assume the position shown in Fig. 6.

The plunger plates 148 are for the purpose of projecting the unit from 06 the forming pins 113, 111, 114, 112, and 115 and the block 146, and for engaging the formed unit with the previously connected unit 145, Fig. 12 showing the plunger plates in the act of ejecting the unit. In order to complete the formation of the hooks- 109 and at the same time connect same with the eyes of the previously connected fabric unit 145, I insert in the periphery of the fabricsupporting drum 43 a series of pairs of threaded studs 161, the outer ends of which are rounded or hollowed out, so that when the plunger plates 148 force the hooks of the unit out from between the plates 149 and the guide block 146, the ends of the hooks on said unit enter the eyes of the unit 145 and are forced against the rounded hollowed out surface of said forming studs 161, thereby causing the incomplete hook shape of the unit to assume the final hook shape, as shown in Fig. 19. After the units have thus been completely formed and connected to the ends of the previously assembled units, they are held in position on the drum by means of a series of pointed pins 162 fixed in the periphery of the fabric-supporting drum.

The operation of the cross-link forming and connecting mechanism is in some respects like that of the mechanism for forming and assembling the longitudinal links. It should be under-mood of course that the fabricsupporting drum rotates in the direction of the arrow 163 (see Fig. 1) so that the longitudinal .links are first connected to he fabric and disposed on the drum with their is disconnected from each other, said eye ends of the longitudinal limbs being subsequently stapled or connected togethcr by means of the cross-links which are applied by means of the cross'link forming and connecting mechanisn'i after the fabric drum has been stepped forward 90, approximately.

The staple forming and connecting mechanism comprises a wire-straightening arrangement 16d and a reciprocating wirefeeding block 165, similar to the parts and of the longitudinal link forming mechanism and having the same functions. Mounted on the lower part of the frame d2 are a pair of symmetrically arranged housings 166 (see Figs. 15, 16 and 17); in each of these housings there is journaled a rotary shearing head 167 carried on the end of a shaft 168, said shaft 168 being rotated by means of a pinion 169 keyed thereto and operated by means of a rack rod 170. In the upper end of said rack rod 170 is fined a pin 171 which enters a slot 172 in one end of the la er 17 3- rotatably mounted upon a fixed shaft 17 1 which is carried by a pair of lugs 175 on a bracket 176 secured to the top member of the frame 12. The other end of said lever carries a cam roll 177 which cooperates with a cam 178 keyed to the constantly rotating shaft 4C1. The cutting edge of each of the rotary shearing elements 167 coiiperates with a stationary shear block 179 over which the wire is fed by the recipro eating wire-feeding mechanism, and the width of the cutting edge of said rotary shear element 167 in a direction along the axis of rotation is equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the wire (see Fig. 17). After the wire is cut off by the rotation of the shears, the latter continue their moveir'wnt and bend the ends of the Cl'Or 'i'fi-llllkfi 180 over a pair of centrally arfornring pins 181. The working of the shearing elements 167 are tably shaped. to cooperate with a I forming block 182 upon which the wire is bent. thus forming the ends of the cross-links into incomplete or prelinulnar;- hook shape. as shown at 183. In order to discharge the cross-links thus formed and connect same into the eyes of the longitudinal links, the shaft 168 is made hollow and equipped with a sliding plunger 184 which is normally withdrawn by means of a coil spring 185 contained in an enlargement 186 and coiiperating with a fixed collar or shoulder 187 on the end of said plunger pin 18 1-. The outer end of said head 187 is reduced slightly in diameter, as shown at 188 and projects through a hole drilled in the threaded retaining collar 189. In a central upstanding lug 190 formed as part of the casting or bracket comprising the t 6 l rotatably mount upon a fixed snaft a belll lever 19:2 he lower nod with a pair of symarranged fingers or tappets 193 ging the rounded ends 188 of the plun- 7 s 184. he upper end of said bell-crank 19:3 carries a cam roll 19% co'o'perating with a can: 195 keyed to the rotating shaft -11.

VJ hen the cross link 180 is thrust forward by the plunger-s 18 1, it is received in a narrow passage 196 located between pair of plates 197 and 198 spaced apart substantially the same distance as the diameter of the wire from which the unit is formed and secured to the front faces of the housings 166 by means of screws 199. After having been received in said narrow space 196, the unit is forced out therefrom by means of a thin flat plunger 200 secured in the lower end of a thrust bar 201 by means of screws The upper end of said thrust bar :01 carries a pin 203 working in a slot 204- in the end of a cam lever 205, said cam lever 205 being pivotally mounted upon the fixed shaft 174i. The rear end of said cam lever carries a cam roll- 9.06 which coiiperatcs with a cam 207 keyed to the constantly rotating shaft :1. In order to support the formed unit in proper position between the plates 197 and 198, the pins 181 over which the hooked ends of the unit are formed are forced outwardly against the plate 197 by means of coil springs 208 seated in the plungers 184'. To prevent the ends of the pins 181 from interfering with the function of the plunger plate 200, the ends of the pins 1151 are pointed, as shown at 20 so that the round wire unit resting thereon is enabled to force back the pins slightly to enable the unit to pass as the latter is engaged and moved downwardly by the plunger 200. In order to complete the formation of the hooked ends 183 of the cross link and to connect the eye ends of the longitudinal units securely together. the fabric unit supporting drum is furnished with a series of 210 similar in construction and in function to the inserts 161.

It will be seen that the longitudinal links are successively connected to the end of the faoric between successive step-by-step rotary movements of the drum, and that the adjacent longitudinal units are connected together transversely by the cross-link applying mechanism. It should he noted that in order to permit the spacing of the longitud nal link-forming and applying mecha nism and the cross link-applying mechanism, the distance between said mechanisms is equal to the spacing between a plurality of longitudinal links, this however having no bad effect, for the reason that the longitudinal links are supported in position on the fabric drum until they are stepped around to the cross link-applying mechanism.

The machine is of course capable of modification in order to make it suitable for operating upon fabrics different from the specific fabric selected as an illustration of one embodiment of the machine. For instance, it may be necessary to operate upon fabric having longitudinal links differing greatly in shape from the shape of the longitudinal link set forth herein. Also, if the machine is to operate upon comparatively Wide longitudinal links, it may be necessary to employ cross link parts considerably shorter than and different from the cross links described.

The construction described is subject to other modifications Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and consequently the scope of the invention must be deter mined by the appended claims without regard to the specific details of construction described.

I claim 1. In a machine for making Wire fabric, the combination of means for successively attaching fabric units to the edge of a completed fabric portion, means for applying connectors to the adjacent units thus at tached, and means for causing relative motion between the said unitattaching means and the said fabric in a direction substantially parallel to said fabric edge.

2. In a machine for making rectangular mesh fabric, the combination of means for successively attaching spaced-apart fabric units to the edge of a completed. fabric portion, means for applying spaced-apart con-- nectors to the adjacent units thus attached. and means for intermittently causing rela tive motion between the said unit-attaching means and said fabric in a direction substantially parallel to said fabric edge.

3. In a machine for constructing rectangular mesh wire fabric composed of longitudinal and transverse links. the combination of'mecha'nisni for advancing a complotcd fabric length step-by-step in a direction transversely of its length, longitudinah fabric-unit-applying mechanism arranged adjacent to the edge of said completed fabric' portion for applying); a series of transversely spaced longitudinal links to the edge of said fabric with their ends projecting therefrom, and means for applying transverse links to the projecting ends of said longitudinal links to complete the meshes of said fabric.

4. In a machine for constructing Wire fabric composed of longitudinal and transverselinks, thecombination of a support for carrying a completed fabric portion, longitudinal-fabric-unitapplying mechamsm for applying longitudinal links one at a time to the edge of said fabric portion, means for effecting step-by-step uni-directional transverse movements of said fabric on said support past said longitudinal unitapplying mechanism, and mechanism for applying cross links to the ends of said longitudinal links after the application of the latter to said fabric portion.

5. In a machine for constructing \vire fabric, the combination of a support for apreviously completed fabric portion, mechanism for directly applying a series of fabric units one at a time to the end of the fabric portion carried on said support, and mechanism for subsequently applying other units to said first units.

6. In a machine for constructing tubular Wire fabric, the combination of a rotary fabric support for effecting circumferential movement of a previously completed fabric portion carried by said support, means for applying circumferentially spaced fabric units to said fabric portion, and means for applying connectors between said longitudinal fabric units. I

7. In a machine for constructing tubular Wire fabric, the combination of a rotary fabric support for effecting circumferential movement of a previously completed fabric portion carried by said support, means for applying circumferentially spaced separate fabric units to said fabric portion, and means for subsequently applying connectors between adjacent spaced longitudinal fabric units.

8. In a machine for making Wire fabric, the combination of a support for carrying a completed fabric portion, mechanism for applying longitudinally disposed links, one at atime, to the edge of said completed fabric portion carried by said support. means for effecting relative transverse movement of said fabric unit applying mechanism and the fabric portion, and means for forming connections transversely tying together said longitudinal links.

9. In a machine for making Wire fabric, the combination of a support for carrying a completed fabric portion, mechanism for applying longitudinally disposed links, one at a time, to the edge of said completed fabric portion carried by said support, means for effecting relative transverse movement of said fabric unit applying mechanism and the fabric support, and means for forming connections transversely tying together said longitudinal links subsequent to the application of said longitudinal links to the fabric by said fabric unit applying mechanism.

10. A machine for making tubular Wire fabric, comprising a rotary fabric support fabric portion on said drum and locking said unit to said fabric at one end, the fabric drum being arranged to support the connected unit in position with its length substantially parallel to the axis of said drum, and means for applying a cross con-- nector between said unit and a similar unit previously connected to said fabric.

21. In a machine for constructing a web of wire mesh fabric, the combination of means for severing a length of wire from a continuous wire supply, means for forming the end of said wire length to form a fabric-engaging partnneans for subsequently engaging said formedend with the end of a unit previously connected to and incorporated into a previously completed portion of said mesh web length, and means for applying connectors transversely tying together units so engaged with said fabric.

22. In a machine for constructing wire fabric, the combination of means for forming a length of Wire from a continuous wire supply, means for bending one end of said wire length into incomplete. hook shape to form a fabric-engaging portion, means for engaging said hook with the edge of a previously completed fabric length and completing said hook, thereby locking said wire length to the fabric edge and positioning the same longitudinally of the fabric, and means for applying a cross connector between said unit and a previously connected unit trans versely adjacent thereto.

23. In a machine for constructing wire fabric, the combination of a drum for supporting a previously completed length of spiral tubular wire link fabric, means for effecting step-by-step rotary movements of the fabric on said drum, means for severing lengths of wire from a continuous wire supply, means for forming said wire length into fabric units each having an eye at one end and an eye-engaging part at the other end, and means synchronized with each step by step movement of said fabric for connecting said eye engaging part of said unit with the eye of a unit-forming part of the previously completed fabric portion.

24. In a machine for constructing wire fabric, the combination of a drum for supporting a previously completed length of spiral tubular wire link fabric, means for eflecting step-by-step rotary movements of the fabric on said drum, means for severing lengths of wire from a continuous wire supply, means for forming said wire lengths into fabric units each having an eye atone end and an eye-engaging part at the other end, means synchronized with each step by step movement of the fabric for connecting said eye-engaging part of said unit with the eye of a unit forming part of the previously completed fabric portion, and means for locking said eye-engaging portion in said eye.

25. In a machine for constructing wire fabric, the combination of a drum for supporting a previously completed length of spiral tubular wire link fabric, means for effecting step-by-step rotary movements of said drum, means for severing a length of wire from a continuous wire supply, means for forming said wire length into a fabric unit having an eye at one end and an eye engaging part at the other end, means for connecting said eye-engaging part of said unit with the eye of a unit forming part of the previously completed fabric portion, and means for locking said eye-engaging portion in said eye, the fabric-supporting drum being arranged to support said unit longitudinally of the drum with its eye remote from the fabric portion.

26. In a machine for constructing wire fabric, the combination of a drum for supporting a previously completed length of spiral tubular wire link fabric, means for effecting step-by-step rotary movements of said drum, means for severing a length of wire from a continuous wire supply, means for forming said wire length into a fabric unit having an eye at one end and an eyeengaging part at the other end, means for connecting said eye-engaging part to said unit with the eye of a unit forming part of the previously completed fabric portion, means for locking said eye-engaging portion in said eye, the fabric-supporting drum being arranged to support said unit longitudinally of the drum with its eye remote from the fabric portion, and means for subsequently applying connectors tying together the eye ends of adjacent units.

27. In a machine for constructing wire fabric, the combination of a drum for sup porting a previously completed length of spiral tubular wire link fabric, means for effecting step-by-step rotary movements of said drum, means for severing a length of wire from a continuous wire supply, means for forming said wire length into a fabric unit having an eye at one end and an eyeengaging part at the otherv end, means for connecting said eye-engaging part of said unit with the end of a unit-forming part of the previously completed fabric portion, means for locking said eye-engaging portion in said eye, the fabric-supporting drum being arranged to support said unit longitudinally of the drum with its eye remote from the fabric portion, and means for applying cross links to the eye ends of transversely adjacent units so connected to said fabric portion.

HARVEY E. BROWN. 

